Scott Morfee is one of New York’s most respected Off-Broadway producers. He co-founded the Barrow Street Theatre, backed bold new plays, and collected multiple Lucille Lortel Awards along the way. Many readers now search his name after news of his wife, Kelly Curtis, who died in May 2026. This guide covers his career, his best-known productions, and his personal life, using details from public theatre records and reputable reporting.
Who Is Scott Morfee?
Scott Morfee is an American theatre producer and artistic director based in New York City. Before he turned to the stage, he worked as a marketing executive. By 1989, he was producing Shout and Twist, a play with music tied to his early theatre work. Public listings give his birth year as 1954. That blend of business experience and creative curiosity shaped the career that followed.
Today, he is best known as a co-founder of Barrow Street Theatre and a champion of independent work. He favors new plays, unusual staging, and writers who take risks. Theatre writers often connect his name with intimate, audience-focused productions in Greenwich Village. Within the Off-Broadway community, Scott Morfee has built a reputation for trusting artists early and giving strong ideas room to grow.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Profession | Theatre producer and artistic director |
| Known for | Co-founding Barrow Street Theatre (2003) |
| Business partner | Tom Wirtshafter |
| Home venue | Greenwich House, West Village (2003–2018) |
| Awards | Multiple Lucille Lortel Awards |
| Spouse | Kelly Curtis (married September 14, 1989) |
What Is Barrow Street Theatre?
In 2003, Scott Morfee and Tom Wirtshafter launched Barrow Street Theatricals and leased the Greenwich House space at 27 Barrow Street. The venue seated about 200 people, which made it ideal for close, personal storytelling. Audiences sat near the actors, and small casts could fill the room with energy. That scale became the company’s signature and attracted playwrights who wanted raw, direct theatre.
The partnership lasted until September 2018, when the lease at Greenwich House ended. The company did not close. It kept the Barrow Street Theatricals name and continued producing Off-Broadway shows in other New York venues. One example is Nassim, the 2019 American premiere by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, staged at New York City Center Stage II. The move showed the brand could outlive its building.
Best-Known Productions
Morfee’s producing credits read like a tour of modern American drama. He backed Tracy Letts’ Bug, which won the 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play. He also produced Adding Machine, the 2008 Lortel winner for Outstanding Musical, and David Cromer’s celebrated staging of Our Town, which took Outstanding Revival in 2009. Each show used the same formula: a bold vision, a small room, and a tight, committed ensemble.
His slate also includes Underneath the Lintel by Glen Berger, which enjoyed an 18-month run, and Tribes by Nina Raine, a drama about family and communication. Later, he championed Nassim, a play in which a different guest actor performs each night. These choices show a clear pattern. Scott Morfee gravitates toward writing that surprises audiences and invites them to participate, not just watch.
| Production | Creator | Recognition |
| Bug | Tracy Letts | 2004 Lortel Award, Outstanding Play |
| Adding Machine | Musical based on Elmer Rice’s play | 2008 Lortel Award, Outstanding Musical |
| Our Town | Thornton Wilder (directed by David Cromer) | 2009 Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival |
| Underneath the Lintel | Glen Berger | 18-month Off-Broadway run |
| Nassim | Nassim Soleimanpour | 2019 American premiere with rotating guest actors |
Awards and Career Milestones
The Lucille Lortel Awards honor excellence in Off-Broadway theatre, so they carry real weight in Morfee’s field. He earned three of them for Bug, Adding Machine, and Our Town. Winning in the play, musical, and revival categories shows range. That range is hard to match. The wins also helped the Barrow Street Theatre build trust with artists, investors, and ticket buyers over time.
Awards tell only part of the story. Morfee also earned respect for longevity and consistency. He and Wirtshafter ran a single Off-Broadway house for 15 years, a long stretch in an industry where venues come and go. Stability gives new plays time to find an audience, build word of mouth, and grow. That patience may be his most lasting contribution to the Off-Broadway scene.
Marriage to Kelly Curtis
Scott Morfee married actress Kelly Curtis on September 14, 1989. Kelly was the daughter of Hollywood stars Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and the older sister of actress Jamie Lee Curtis. The couple worked together on Shout and Twist, with Kelly acting in the show and helping produce it. Their marriage lasted more than three decades and combined family life with shared artistic goals.
Kelly Curtis died on May 30, 2026, at age 69. Her sister Jamie Lee Curtis announced the news on Instagram. The announcement prompted many people to search for her husband. Morfee and Curtis kept their relationship largely out of the spotlight, which is why many fans first learned his name through the news. Out of respect for the family, this article sticks to confirmed facts and avoids speculation.
Why His Work Matters to Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway thrives on risk, and Morfee understood that early. Smaller houses let producers back unusual plays without the massive budgets of a Broadway run. Barrow Street Theatre used that freedom to showcase writers, directors, and actors who might not get a chance elsewhere. For audiences, the result was often theatre that felt immediate, surprising, and close enough to touch from your seat.
His influence also shows in how producers think about longevity. Rather than chase quick hits, Morfee and Wirtshafter built a home for artists and gave productions time to grow. Theatre students and emerging producers can learn from that model. Take chances on strong writing, protect the intimacy of the room, and stay patient. Scott Morfee’s track record suggests those principles still work.
Off-Broadway vs. Broadway
| Feature | Off-Broadway | Broadway |
| Seating | 100 to 499 seats | 500 or more seats |
| Typical budget | Lower | Higher |
| Creative risk | Often higher | Often favors proven titles |
| Audience experience | Intimate and close | Larger and more spectacular |
Takeaways for Emerging Producers
- ✅ Back strong writing before chasing trends.
- ✅ Choose a room size that fits the story.
- ✅ Build a long-term partnership, as Morfee did with Wirtshafter.
- ✅ Give new work time to find its audience.
- ✅ Verify credits through awards databases and trade publications.
Conclusion
Scott Morfee built a career on trust, taste, and patience. As co-founder of Barrow Street Theatre, he helped turn a small Greenwich Village room into a launchpad for bold new plays. His Lortel-winning productions of Bug, Adding Machine, and Our Town show how much impact an Off-Broadway producer can have when he backs strong writing and gives artists room to experiment.
His marriage to Kelly Curtis, which began in 1989, combined family life, creativity, and shared work, and her death in May 2026 brought him wider public attention. For readers searching for Scott Morfee, the clearest takeaway is simple: he is a producer whose lasting legacy lives in the plays he championed and the artists he supported.
